kbp

Jul 5 2015, 11:30 AM

I'm not seeing it as so much of a switch to single payer, just a new right that can't be repealed. The MAJOR cost factor problem is passed along for the next solution to be passed, then ALL are on-board owning it ....under Barry's legacy.

NYTimes...

 

Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016
Health insurance companies around the country are seeking rate increases of 20 percent to 40 percent or more, saying their new customers under the Affordable Care Act turned out to be sicker than expected. Federal officials say they are determined to see that the requests are scaled back. Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans — market leaders in many states — are seeking rate increases that average 23 percent in Illinois, 25 percent in North Carolina, 31 percent in Oklahoma, 36 percent in Tennessee and 54 percent in Minnesota, according to documents posted online by the federal government and state insurance commissioners and interviews with insurance executives...

Quote:

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/oregon-backs-hefty-rise-in-health-insurance-premiums-1435873598

Oregon Backs Hefty Rise in Health-Insurance Premiums

Oregon’s insurance regulator has approved big premium increases sought by health plans for 2016 under the health law, and in some cases ordered higher raises than insurers requested, signaling that the cost of insurance for people who buy it on their own could jump after two years of relatively modest growth.

Around the U.S., the biggest insurers have proposed hefty premium increases for the year ahead, based on what they say they now know about the costs of covering people newly enrolled under the Affordable Care Act. Supporters of the health law have been counting on state regulators to rein in hefty premium increases for the law’s third year in full effect.

But in Oregon, the first state to announce final 2016 rates, Insurance Commissioner Laura Cali approved an average 25.6% increase for Moda Health Plan Inc., the biggest plan on the state’s health exchange. She also gave a green light to average increases of 30% or more for four smaller companies, in a decision released this week. And she required plans that hadn’t attempted to raise rates to do so anyway, including Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, by an average of 8.3%.

Ms. Cali said the changes were necessary for plans to stay afloat. State actuaries had reviewed claims incurred in 2014 and concluded they exceeded premiums collected that year by $127 million, or an average of $624 a person who signed up for insurance on their own, she said.

“We share the concerns expressed through public comment about the affordability of health insurance in Oregon, and these final rates were approved in order to protect consumers from extreme rate increases in the future. Inadequate rates could also result in companies going out of business in the middle of the plan year, or being unable to pay claims,” she said in a statement.

“Our ultimate responsibility to Oregon consumers is to ensure that rates cover the cost of health care. Our final rate decisions reflect our commitment to ensuring that Oregonians can count on the coverage they purchase.”

Chris Stenrud, a spokesman for the Kaiser plan, said the insurer had “confidence that we have priced for long-term stability. Nevertheless we respect the division’s decision and will adjust our 2016 rates accordingly.”

As recently as Wednesday, the health law’s backers were still telling people not to panic about significant increases. President Barack Obama was asked about the issue as he took questions about the Affordable Care Act in Nashville, Tenn., another state where the biggest health plan has proposed a large jump in premiums after previously having some of the lowest in the country.

“When all the dust settled and the commissioners who were empowered to review these rates forced insurance companies to justify what they were seeking, what you discovered … is that the rates actually didn’t go up as much as people thought,” Mr. Obama said, speaking about last year. “My expectation is … that they’ll come in significantly lower than what’s being requested.”

A Health and Human Services spokeswoman said Friday that Oregon had also seen higher proposed increases than other states and those states might yet fare differently.

“Each health insurance market is unique, and, as we saw in 2015, trends in any single market may not be representative of those in the nation as a whole,” said Katie Hill, the spokeswoman.

Quote:

 

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sf-uninsured-20150706-story.html

In ironic twist, S.F. is worried Obamacare could hurt its most vulnerable residents

Quote:

 

http://kff.org/health-reform/report/coverage-expansions-and-the-remaining-uninsured-a-look-at-california-during-year-one-of-aca-implementation/

Coverage Expansions and the Remaining Uninsured: A Look at California During Year One of ACA Implementation

[...]

How does coverage affect financial security?

Health care costs can be a major burden for low-income families. Survey findings indicate that while coverage can ameliorate some of the financial challenges that low and moderate income adults face, many will continue to face financial challenges in other areas of their lives.

Many Covered California enrollees report difficulty paying their monthly premium. Nearly half of newly insured adults (47%) say it is somewhat or very difficult to afford their monthly premium, compared to just 27% of adults who were insured before 2014. Further, 44% of Covered California enrollees report difficulty paying their monthly premium, versus a quarter of adults with other types of private coverage.

[...]

Why are people still uninsured and what are their coverage options?

Though much attention was paid to the difficulties with the application and enrollment process during the 2014 open enrollment period, logistical issues were not a leading reason why people went without insurance in 2014. Rather, lack of awareness of new coverage options and financial assistance appear to be a major barrier.

Most adults who were uninsured in fall 2014 had not tried to get ACA coverage, and perceptions of cost and eligibility were a common reason for not obtaining coverage. The main reason that all uninsured gave for why they lack coverage is that it is too expensive (44%). Among the roughly one-third of uninsured who tried to sign up for ACA coverage, the most common reason people gave for not having ACA coverage was being told they were ineligible (38%) or because it was too expensive (21%). Still, when asked directly about application difficulty, most uninsured adults who sought ACA coverage reported difficulty with at least one aspect of the process, and most tried more than one avenue.

Few adults who were uninsured at the end of 2014 had plans to obtain ACA coverage in 2015. Only about half of uninsured adults indicated that they plan to get coverage in 2015, and few who do identified Medicaid or Marketplace coverage as their goal. Rather, higher shares indicate that they don’t know where they will get coverage or plan to get coverage through a job. However, few are likely to gain coverage through an employer either because they are self-employed or not in a working family (38%), or because the employer does not offer coverage (32%) or coverage for which they are eligible (8%).

[...]

kbp

Jul 7 2015, 12:29 PM

So much for that competition thingy the marketplace would produce.